You know fall is here when you see pumpkin-spiced lattes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving and this tasty maple pumpkin smoothie. I love decorating with pumpkins and using them in recipes— too bad the season is so short!
I know people are either on team pumpkin or now, but I really hope you give this pumpkin smoothie a try. The pumpkin benefits abound in this gorgeous orange vegetable that will make us love and crave the season even more.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in Pumpkin Smoothie
- Almond milk: This dairy-free milk creates a creamy protein-rich smoothie. Make sure to look for ones without added sugars. Here’s my recommendations on the best almond milk brands.
- Cauliflower: Frozen cauliflower adds fiber and cooler temperature to the smoothie without altering the flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: You’ll find this in the baking section and in a can. Look for pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling).
- Maple syrup: you’ll want to use pure maple syrup, which comes straight from the tree sap and rich in minerals (not the highly-refined versions made from corn syrup and artificial flavors).
- Cinnamon and vanilla: You can use as much or little of these spices as you’d like, I suggest start with a little and taste as you go until you get the preferred flavor.
- Raw pecans: raw nuts have the most nutrients in them, which is why I recommend always using them. Feel free to lightly toast them yourself, if you want in the oven at 350° for 5 minutes or until desired results are achieved.
Health Benefits of Eating Pumpkin
- It’s high in vitamin A. Just one cup contains over 200 percent of the recommended daily intake, which is super important for your eye health + night vision.
- It’s packed with vitamin C. Strengthen your immune system all winter (and flu season!) long by adding this veggie to smoothies, soups, baked goods and more. One cup of pumpkin contains 19 percent of the recommended daily intake.
- More potassium than a banana. There’s over 500 milligrams of potassium in a cup of canned pumpkin; that’s more than a large banana!!
- Fiber! Pumpkin will fill you up fast with 7 grams in one cup. The fiber also helps your digestion and can help lower your cholesterol.
A Nutrition Research Review study done by Cambridge University showed that when pumpkin was used on diabetic patients, it caused a drop in blood sugar levels. The study concluded that pumpkin may be used to naturally help regulate the blood sugar in Type 2 Diabetics instead of using chemical insulin.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
We want you to indulge in pumpkin this fall, and we have an incredibly delicious smoothie recipe to help you do just that! Ready for more pumpkin in your life? Check out our favorite pumpkin recipes from our blog and beyond:
Maple Pumpkin Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw pecans plus more for sprinkling
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup cauliflower frozen flourets
- â…“ cup pumpkin puree canned
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch cinnamon ground
- pinch nutmeg ground
- pinch sea salt
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Place pecans, almond milk and cauliflower florets into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth.
- Pour into a glass, add any extra chopped pecans on top, and sprinkle a few more dashes of cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Notes
- It’s best to use unsweetened, dairy-free milk. If you are using a sweetened version, then cut the amount of maple syrup in half.
- Frozen cauliflower (instead of fresh) has a few benefits when blending smoothies. First, it doesn’t pack the same sulfury odor and taste as its raw or cooked counterparts, making it almost undetectable in smoothie form. Second, using frozen cauliflower helps make this a cold smoothie with a creamy, milkshake-like consistency. You can use fresh cauliflower if you prefer, but try frozen if possible!
- If you want to turn your smoothie into a meal replacement drink then make sure to add a bit more liquid as the homemade protein powder will make it even thicker.
- Swap the maple syrup for the natural sweetener of your choice.
Absolutely delicious!
What would you suggest as a substitute for the cauliflower (it’s on my sensitivity list)?
Hi Angela,
This smoothie is so so good, I’m glad you’re looking forward to making it! The cauliflower in this recipe is way to add hidden veggies, without affecting the flavor, and it also provides a creamy base. You could swap canned coconut milk for cauliflower to give the smoothie that creaminess, but it will make the flavor of the smoothie change a bit. (I think it would still be delicious, but I’m a big fan of coconut milk!). Otherwise, you could swap for banana or avocado. I hope you love it.
Love pumpkin
Found the pecans and pumpkin to make this again today. Seriously one of my fav smoothies
I look forward to this smoothie every fall! It’s so delicious. 🙂
Totally agree, it’s SO delicious!
I get excited all over again for this recipe every year! Bring on all the pumpkin.
You had me at Maple Pumpkin! 🙂 Delicious!
Sooo good, right?!
Perfect for pumpkin spice season and waaay better than a PSL. I’ll be blending this one quite a bit this fall. 🙂
Same!! And I’m not a coffee drinker but love everything pumpkin so this definitely gives me my PSL fix!
I made this twice this past week and it’s delicious.